How many Ewes can one man handle?

arctictree

Opinions on the above? What's the maximum amount of Ewes that one man can work comfortably? I'm guessing about 3 or 4 hundred?

endacl

Must. resist. temptation. to. humorously. interpret. OP.

Failing...

kk.man

arctictree wrote: »

Opinions on the above? What's the maximum amount of Ewes that one man can work comfortably? I'm guessing about 3 or 4 hundred?

A lot of variables..good dog..your set up..the ewes themselves...

ganmo

kk.man wrote: »

A lot of variables..good dog..your set up..the ewes themselves...

and fragmented land or not
but id say in around the 4-500 mark on an average setup 6-7 on an ideal one

exaisle

Depends on whether he walks up or runs up.....and whether he has a spare pair of wellies... ;-)

Cran

1000/1200 but depends on farm structure, if fragmented wouldn't be possible

charolais0153

Totally on his own id say 3~400 . but with help in spring id say 1k or that

Hard Knocks

Allot depends on suitation:
Age, single, children, full time/part time, other livestock & land/shed quality.
Weather is a massive factor.

Karangue

Cran wrote: »

1000/1200 but depends on farm structure, if fragmented wouldn't be possible

Google has let you down badly with that figure.

Willfarman

There's so many variables. A really well set up place would manage a thousand ewes but would need 2 more pairs of hands at lambing and every time he be working at them.

There was a belter of a post on this way back about a chap at a teagasc meeting about getting a profit out of sheep when it couldn't be done because the price was so bad. Teagasc answer was more sheep and higher stocking rate. This cap boasted about managing over 300 ewes on his own.
Until a voice popped up and said begin your mother and father wouldn't agree with you saying that young lad !

Cran

Karangue wrote: »

Google has let you down badly with that figure.

Why? I'm running 750 part time at the moment with another 1/2 a labour unit. See no reason why couldn't run 1000/1200 with structure on own, lambed on my own this year too as didn't have anyone working here for 6 months.

adam14

Cran wrote:

Why? I'm running 750 part time at the moment with another 1/2 a labour unit. See no reason why couldn't run 1000/1200 with structure on own, lambed on my own this year too as didn't have anyone working here for 6 months.

How did you lamb 750 on your own. It would be great to hear more about your set up and off farm work. Do you take 3 weeks holidays just for lambing them?

rangler1

Cran wrote: »

Why? I'm running 750 part time at the moment with another 1/2 a labour unit. See no reason why couldn't run 1000/1200 with structure on own, lambed on my own this year too as didn't have anyone working here for 6 months.

It depends on your stocking rate, your land, and the amount of losses you're going to tolerate,
Sheep can be easy cared without actually being 'easy care', 550 here and while two days/wk will handle most of the year, once they go in a shed, to mind the right takes more than two days, but you can't leave them out if you're stocked at 10+/ha.....not on my land anyway....see a neighbour desperately looking for winterage after thinking they could leave them out.
But put 600 ewes on 300 acres, leave them out all year,lamb away on their own like the new zealanders do it and it's a piece of cake and you'll eventually end up with sheep that'll tolerate that

Cran

adam14 wrote: »

How did you lamb 750 on your own. It would be great to hear more about your set up and off farm work. Do you take 3 weeks holidays just for lambing them?

Farm is all in one block so that helps massively.

Sheep are 50 pedigrees lambed at the beginning of January, sponged and normally synced for a weekend & take few days off either side for big burst. Guy works for me then checks during days after & I pick up after work. Rest of the flock is out door lambing end of March, majority are Mules and Mule crosses with about 150 pedigree Lleyns.

Ewes are run on turnips from about Christmas, with twins & triplets removed 6 weeks before lambing and feed outdoors with snacker and quad. I take two weeks off for lambing each year and would have about 90% lambed down by time go back to work. This year was first year I lambed on my own in 8 years, as had no one from Jan until July. During lambing normally out at sunrise and finish at sun set, don't check them at night as find it causes more problems than solves outdoors. Use mainly charollais for ease of lambing but do use other breeds to bred ewe lambs.

Cran

rangler1 wrote: »

It depends on your stocking rate, your land, and the amount of losses you're going to tolerate,
Sheep can be easy cared without actually being 'easy care', 550 here and while two days/wk will handle most of the year, once they go in a shed, to mind the right takes more than two days, but you can't leave them out if you're stocked at 10+/ha.....not on my land anyway....see a neighbour desperately looking for winterage after thinking they could leave them out.
But put 600 ewes on 300 acres, leave them out all year,lamb away on their own like the new zealanders do it and it's a piece of cake and you'll eventually end up with sheep that'll tolerate that

Totally agree, lucky here ground is ideal for wintering out on turnips.

sheepfarmer92

Our land is in 3 blocks and have about 1500 ewes going to the ram this year, just myself and father, sheep are a 3 days a week work apart from the spring, have a neighbour who helps for two or three weeks and we manage the rest ourselves, lambing mainly indoors but moving towards more out door lambing, we are stocked at ten ewes per ha here too but land is very dry

arctictree

Silly question but why are ye lads holding down full time jobs when ye have more than 4 or 500 ewes? Would it not be better to concentrate on the farming? I cant wait to ditch the full time job but need to expand my stock first!

sheepfarmer92

arctictree wrote: »

Silly question but why are ye lads holding down full time jobs when ye have more than 4 or 500 ewes? Would it not be better to concentrate on the farming? I cant wait to ditch the full time job but need to expand my stock first!

Id say because 4 or 500 isnt a full time job and to be making a good wage out of it you need up near 1000 ewes so if they have a mortgage and young family they need the extra work, sad isnt it really

farawaygrass

Why are ye moving towards outdoor lambing? For ease of management st lambing, and also for grass, would putting them in not be better/easier? If lambing outdoors what would your lambing and weaning percentages be like? Very interesting thread. Isn't it terrible if 500 ewes wouldn't justify full time

grassroot1

If there are any kiwis reading this they are laughing. 3000 to 4000 with sheep handled as little as possible.We are not at the races and we have the wrong sheep.

White Clover

grassroot1 wrote: »

If there are any kiwis reading this they are laughing. 3000 to 4000 with sheep handled as little as possible.We are not at the races and we have the wrong sheep.

What would happen to the price of lamb if sheep numbers increased drastically?
Just like dairying, the kiwis are made out to be the only ones that know anything about it.

sheepfarmer92

grassroot1 wrote: »

If there are any kiwis reading this they are laughing. 3000 to 4000 with sheep handled as little as possible.We are not at the races and we have the wrong sheep.

Yes its grand for the kiwis, we could all keep 3000 ewes per man if land was for next to nothing to rent and just pick up the dead ones but cant do that in this country or you could be stopped keeping livestock or worse, end up in jail

sheepfarmer92

farawaygrass wrote: »

Why are ye moving towards outdoor lambing? For ease of management st lambing, and also for grass, would putting them in not be better/easier? If lambing outdoors what would your lambing and weaning percentages be like? Very interesting thread. Isn't it terrible if 500 ewes wouldn't justify full time

Less labour involved is main reason, will still house the majority of ewes for two months here and turn out the twins to lamb outside once the weather isnt too bad they will be fine

Green farmer

In fairness the number 1 kept sheep in this country is still the Suffolk cross. If you tried to scale them up to a few thousand ewes per man, you could imagine how they'd stack up against best international practice.
Aside from that, what do the kiwis manage on a weaned basis ? I'm guessing about 1.0 to 1.3 ??? Not bad if you'd loads of cheap land and considering the Romneys lamb themselves and cost very little labour and feed to carry over the year. Have been tempted to try them here at some stage, but I'm happy enough with the Lleyn so far.

grassroot1

White Clover wrote: »

What would happen to the price of lamb if sheep numbers increased drastically?
Just like dairying, the kiwis are made out to be the only ones that know anything about it.

Sheep numbers would not go up sheep farmer numbers would go down.
If fairness they are doing it without subsidy I dont know anyone who would do that here. I didnt say the kiwi know everything just pointing out the differences.

roosky

sheepfarmer92 wrote: »

Our land is in 3 blocks and have about 1500 ewes going to the ram this year, just myself and father, sheep are a 3 days a week work apart from the spring, have a neighbour who helps for two or three weeks and we manage the rest ourselves, lambing mainly indoors but moving towards more out door lambing, we are stocked at ten ewes per ha here too but land is very dry

when you say you and your father is that 2 labour units or 1.5, as in is your father working away or just helping when your under pressure

sheepfarmer92

roosky wrote: »

when you say you and your father is that 2 labour units or 1.5, as in is your father working away or just helping when your under pressure

1and a half now as hes an agent for icm as well

davidk1394

600-700 here is fine, due to land fragmentation. Need help in the spring

Cattlepen

Green farmer wrote: »

In fairness the number 1 kept sheep in this country is still the Suffolk cross. If you tried to scale them up to a few thousand ewes per man, you could imagine how they'd stack up against best international practice.
Aside from that, what do the kiwis manage on a weaned basis ? I'm guessing about 1.0 to 1.3 ??? Not bad if you'd loads of cheap land and considering the Romneys lamb themselves and cost very little labour and feed to carry over the year. Have been tempted to try them here at some stage, but I'm happy enough with the Lleyn so far.

Stick with the llyens 😜Very simple

Cattlepen

White Clover wrote: »

What would happen to the price of lamb if sheep numbers increased drastically?
Just like dairying, the kiwis are made out to be the only ones that know anything about it.

You are right in implying there is a bit of mystique attached to farming in New Zealand but in fairness to them they have bred very tough genetics. We have pampered our animals here to much through overstocking and becoming reliant on grain to compensate. It doesn't take many generations to breed hardiness in or out regardless of breed

adam14

sheepfarmer92 wrote:

1and a half now as hes an agent for icm as well

Sorry to hear that!

Siamsa Sessions

grassroot1 wrote: »

Sheep numbers would not go up sheep farmer numbers would go down.
If fairness they are doing it without subsidy I dont know anyone who would do that here. I didnt say the kiwi know everything just pointing out the differences.

No direct payments for us and we're turning something of a margin. Have low fixed costs and variable costs are mostly investments in fencing and housing.

Think I read someplace that Kiwis and Aussies say they need to have 800+ sheep before another "labour unit" is considered. But very hard to compare here with there - we both farm sheep is about all you could safely say is common to both places.

sheepfarmer92

adam14 wrote: »

Sorry to hear that!

Why is that??

adam14

sheepfarmer92 wrote:

Why is that??

Because they are a shower to deal with!

sheepfarmer92

adam14 wrote: »

Because they are a shower to deal with!

Hes there over 20 years hes well used to the hoors